Electric distributing system.



W. L. WATERS.

ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25. 1914.

1,250,536. Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

3 SHE SSHEET I- W. L. WATERS.

ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25. I914.

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ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25. I914.

1,250,536. Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Y/Vjz'ibnesaes: fnuenibfi z U W WjLLZmmL. T Vcbiens y M 44mm Aways WILLIAM L. WATERS, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ELECTRIC DISTBIBUTIN G SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters iPatent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

Application filed May 25, 1914. Serial No. 840,670.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. WATERS, a citizen-of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Distributing Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The subject-matter of this invention is an electric distributing system.

The tendency in modern central station practice is to supply a service to the consumer. at a flat rate charge on a basis of maximum demand. This is due to the limited output of a given central station installation and an e ort to secure economy and efliciency by maintaining the central station apparatus working at its maximum output at all times and avoiding the undesirable characteristic of a peak load. This applies to electric central stations, or to central stations supplying gas, water, steam, or any similar service. I

In supplyingcurrent, it is desirable that the central station have an even and uniform load throughout the twenty-four hours of the day and that at no time should the load on the central station exceed this maximum, nor, for reasons of economy, drop be low it. Upon this basis, a central station may be operated in an economical manner and current can be supplied to the consumer at a relatively low charge per unit of service. This ideal conditioncan be attained only when each consumer requires a uniform supply throughout the entire day. The consumer using a uniform current throughout the entire twenty-four hours can secure a lower rate per unit of service, because of the possibilities of economical operation of the central station.

This presents to the consumer the difiiculty of maintaining a constant load, which will not exceed a given maximum and for obvious economical reasons should not drop below the same, as a flat rate charge based on a maximum demand takes no account of a failure to use the service to which the consumer is entitled. A fairly constant load can be provided by employing various heating and cooking devices, and having a heat storage reservoir which may be a heat storage stove or a hot water heating system, or some device which can absorb the surplus current which is not otherwise used during periods of comparative idleness of the system, and turn it into a form of energy which is readily available at any later period. The storage device or devices must be of sufiicient capacity to consume practically all the current when the more important classes of circuits are not in use.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a system of load distribution which will allow the connection of only a predetermined load to the service main, but will allow the load to be changed auto matically from one type or piece of appa ratus to another.

A further object of my invention is to provide a system of load distribution which will always serve the more important load in preference to the less important load and will, at the same time, maintain a constant load.

is divided up into a number of separate serv- Another object of the invention is to provide an improved maximum demand meter ice circuits of approximately equal capacity.

Where a particular load is too great for a single circuit it may be divided up into a number of circuits.

A bank of switches is provided for .controlling these service circuits. These circuits may be of a total capacity far in excess of the maximum demand for which the consumer is paying and it is necessary that at no time should more than a certain number of these circuits be connected, otherwise the maximum demand would be exceeded and the excess current would necessarily be purchased at an undulyhigh rate, or a penalty or fine would be incurred.

The bank of switches is so constructed that only a certain predetermined number of switches can be connected at a. time, and if current be required in a circuit of greater importance when a circuit of less lmportance is already in circuit, the circuit of less importance is opened when the circuit of greater importance is connected. This is accomplished by an integrating mechanism which becomes active only when the .sum or integral of the connected circuits exceeds the predetermined value and which invariably disconnects the circuit of least importance when the load is about to exceed the predetermined value.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a bank of switches for making the connections of the various service circuits r Fig. 2 is an elevation of one of the switch mechanisms showing the pivoted integrating weight in cross section;

ig. 3 is the same as Fig. 2 except that the switch has been moved to the open position;

Fig. 4 is a diagram of the service circuits and connections.

An illustrative number of service circuits have been indicated in Fig. 4 and the same are arranged in the relative order of their importance. The lighting circuit 1 containing incandescent lamps 10 is assumed as the circuit of first importance and is controlled by a switch 11. The circuit 2 of next importance may supply the elevator motor 20 with current. This circuit is controlled by the switch 12. The next circuit 3 is connected to a cooking or heating vessel-30 and is controlled by the switch 13. The circuit 4 supplies current to a different type of heating or cooking device 40, in this case shown as a percolator. This circuit is controlled by the switch 14.

The circuit 5 of relatively "least importance, supplies current to the heater 50 which may be a heat storage stove, a heater for a hot water system, or the like. This circuit which is controlled by the switch 15, ma be one of the overflow circuits.-

ny desired numberor class'of circuits may be employed and the relative importance of the circuits may be determined in any preferred manner. The circuits indicated above are s own merely for the purpose of illustration, toiset forth one manner in which the invention may be practised.

These various circuits are connected to the mains 16 and 17 through the wires 18 and 19 and through the switch 21. Each of the service circuits may contain a fuse and the connection to the mains may contain a 26. Figs. 2 and 3 show the structure of an individual switch; in this case the switch 11 appearing atthe extreme left in Fig. 1. l The other switches are similar and need not be separately described. The contacts 26] are mounted on a stationary bar 27 in 'any-- suitable manner. The switch arm 11 is connected to the lever 24 through a slotted arm- 28. A pin 29 mounted on the'switch arm projects into the slot 31 of the arm 28. A spring 32 is connected at one end to the switch arm by a pin 33 connected above the pivot point ofthe switch arm. The other end of the spring is connected below the pivot point of the switch arm to a pin 34 be seen that the switch arm'll is thus given a snap action, although this is not of the 'essence of my invention. I 4

The ever 24 is hollow and the slidin latch 3 is mountedin the bore thereof.

sprin 37 normally holds the la-tch in extende position to allow engagement of the end of the latch with .the pivoted integrabing weight 38. Thelatch may be withdrawn by means of the latch lever 39 pivoted on the main lever 24, at the point 41. A link 42 connected at one end of the latch 36 by means of the pin 43 connects the lever 39 with said latch. A suitable handle 44 x which ma be of insulation is provided on the end 0 the lever 24. Each of the levers 24 is statically unbalanced and tends to move the switch to the open position as the outer end bearing the handle 44 is considerably heavier.

The integrating weight 38 is normally 3 supported on the crossbar 48 but is pivoted on the rod 45 and is free to swing upward about said rod. The weight 38 is so proportioned that ,it will counterbalance a definite number of these levers but upon en-' gagement 'of another lever the weight, 38 will be overcome and will swing about'its 'pivot 45 to release one of said levers (see Fig. 3).. To secure disconnection of the proper switch the arcs of engagement of the different switches are of different lengths,

so that when the weight 38 swingsupward having the shortest latch will be first disengaged. Upon a further motion the next lon er lever will be disengaged and so on until the number of levers disconnected is suflicient to allow the weight 38 to prev 80 mounted on the base or support 35. It can 3 tu'rb any of the switches.

Stop bars 46 and 47 may be provided for limiting the movement of the levers in the upward and downward directions respectively, and the barv 48 may be provided for supporting the weight 38 in its proper p sit-ion. The circuit of greatest importance will be connected to the switch lever having the longest arc of engagement with the weighted bar 38 and the circuits of less importance will be connected with the levers of decreasing length of contact with the bar 38.

The operation of the system is as follows:

Assuming that a maximum of three out of five circuits indicated may be connected.- and it is evident at this point that any number of circuits may be employed and that the maximum number may be any part thereof, the desired number of circuits are closed by grasping the handle 44 and latch lever 39,

and swinging the lever 24 upward to bring the switch blade into the closed position. The lever 39 is released and the weight 38 engaging the latch 36 retains the switch in closed position.

, Assuming that circuits 1, 2 and 4 had thus been connected, (see Fig. 4), and it is desired that circuit 3 be .put into service, the switch blade 13 will be swung into engagement with the fixed contact and the latch member 36 of that lever will engage the pivoted weight 38. The total number of levers is in excess of the predetermined maximum which was determined as three and as a consequence the weight of the bar 38 is insuflicient to overcome the combined weight of the connected levers. The weight 38 will be swung upward (see the dotted lines in Fig. '3) and the switch lever having the shortest are of engagement with the bar 38 will be freed from engagement with said bar. In the supposed case, this will be the lever controlling the switch arm 14. After disengagement of the switch lever controlling the fourth circuit, the weight 38 will be sufficient to overcome the combined weight of the other three levers and will retain the switch levers in closed position; The counterbalancing efl'ect of the bar 38 may beincreased by the addition of graduated weights or by suitable spring tension. Instead of depending upon the weight of the outer end of the lever 24, I may employ a construction which I consider to be the equivalent, that is, I- may construct these levers so that they are statically balanced and secure the biased action by means of spring tension, or the like. This would prevent any jarring of the structure from tending to disengage the latch 36 from the weight 38. I may also employ spring tension to secure the efiect of the weighted bar 38.

If it is inexpedient to make all of the service circuits of approximately the same 1 capacity, the weighted lever 24 controlling ,such a circuit, may be made of a different wei ht so-that the ratio of the weight of this lever to the other levers will be approximately the same as the ratio of the capacities of the circuits. A number of such circuits, the consumption capacity of which would be equal to one of the larger circuits, might have levers engaging approximately equal arcs of contact with the weighted bar 38 so that the addition of one of the larger capacity circuits would disconnect this number of smaller circuits upon the larger capacity circuit being connected.

When it is desired to disconnect any one of these circuits the lever 39 may be grasped with the handle 44 whereby the latch 36 is withdrawn from contact with the weight 38 and the switch lever may be moved to the down or open position asshown in Fig. 3. Or the swltches may be disconnected if 'de-- sired, by pulling down on the handle 44 of the appropriate lever. This action would, of course, disconnect the switch arm so actuated and the switch arms of the connected circuits of lesser importance, hence, all of the switches may be disconnected by pulling down the handle 44 of the connected switchof greatest importance.

From the above it can be seen that I have provided a switching mechanism which will retain in circuit the predetermined maximum of, service. circuits and which will disconnect, when it becomes necessary to do so, a circuit of lesser importance to allow of the connection of a circuit of greater importance. The weight 38 is, in eflect, an integrating means for summing up the number of connected circuits and for disconnecting any excess above the predetermined maximum. The disconnection as above stated, will be madein each case inversely in the order of importance of the circuits.

The above described system of distribution is applicable, not only to electric supply systems, but is equally well adapted to control similar systems supplying steam, water. gas or any similar service.

Although the invention has been de- I scribed with reference to the detail of con struction of a specific embodiment, it is not intended thereby, in any manner, to limit the invention as, I consider the above described system of distribution to be broadly new and desire that the'claims be construed as broadly as possible.

' Numerous m'odifi time will immediately be apparent to those skilled in the art, all of which come within the spirit and scope of this invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a system of electrical load distribution a plurality of service circuits of rela tively graded importance, a plurality of switches for connecting said service circuits to the supply mains, a plurality of levers each connected. to a switch and biased to move its corresponding switch to the open position, a movable detent adapted to overcome the bias of a predetermined number of said levers to hold the corresponding switches in a closed position, said detent,-

releasing the levers inversely in the order of their importance when greater than a predetermined number of switches are connected.

2. In combination a plurality of service outlets, a plurality of biased levers controlling the connections of said outlets to supply mains, and a weight adapted to overcome the bias of a predetermined number of said levers to hold them in the closed position, all of said levers having different lengths of arc of engagement with said weight.

3. In a load distributing system, a main supply circuit, a plurality of feeder circuits, a plurality of switches, one for each of said feeder circuits to connect said feeder cir cuits to said supply circuit to simultaneously feed a fraction of the total number of circuits, common, mechanical interlocking means for retaining a plurality of said switches in closed position, and means connected with each switch adapted to cooperate with said interlocking means, said interlocking means allowing the substitution of one connection for another but preventing the connection of more than a predetermined number of circuits to said mains.

4. In a load distributing system, supply mains, a plurality of feeder circuits, switches for connecting said feeder circuits to. said supply mains, a common mechanical interlocking means exerting a force for retaining said switches in closed condition, means associated with each switch exerting a force tending to release the retained switches from the interlocking means, said last force be ing proportional to the maximum capacity of a fraction of the circuits when simultaneously connected.

5. In a load distributing system, a common supply; circuit, a plurality of feeder circuits, switches for connecting said feeder circuits to said supply circuit, a common mechanical retaining means exerting a predetermined action'in proportion to the total maximum load to be drawn from said supply teams by the connected feeder circuits,

and means associated with each switch exerting a force to release the associated switch from the retaining means, said force being relatively proportional to the maximum capacity of the associated circuit.

6. In a system of load distribution, a common supply circuit, a plurality 'of feeder circuits, switches for connecting said feeder circuits to said supply mains, a common mechanical retaining means for retaining said switches in closed condition, and means associated with each switch exerting a force to release the associated switch from the re taining means, said force being proportional to the capacity of associated circuit, said retaining means, when the force thereofis overcome by the combined force of a number of said associated means, releasing the connected switches in a relatively predetermined order.

7 In combination, a supply circuit, a plurality of. feeder circuits, a plurality of switches, each switch associated with a feeder circuit, a mechanical current limiting device cooperating with said switches to retain them in closed position, each of said switches having retracting means tending to retract the associated switch from control of said current limiting device, the tendency of said retracting means being relatively proportional to the maximum capacity of the associated circuit, said current limiting device being capable of retaining only a predetermined number of said switches in closed position, whereby only a predetermined load can be drawn from the supply mains."

8. The method of distributing a predetermined maximum load among a plurality of possible connections of greater total capacity than said maximum load which consists in establishing a predetermined order of importance among all of thepossible connections or combination of connections, independently integrating any combination of the connections until they total the predetermined maximum, and automatically disintegrating the connections inversely in the order of their importance simultaneously with the independent addition of further load.

9. In a system of load distribution, a plurality of service outlets of various relative importance, a plurality of circuit closers to independently and indifl'erently control said outlets, and means to retain any group of said circuit closers when moved into closed position up to a predetermined maximum and to release a group of the same corresponding to the group connected in execs of such predetermined maximum.

10. The combination of a main supply circuit, and a plurality of work circuits, a plurality of levers to control the work circuits to supply current to a group thereof simultaneously up to a predetermined maxi- In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe mum, and a counterbalance exegting a forge my name this 20th day of May, A. D. 1914. on said levers equal to the com ine Weig t of a group of the levers below said prede- WILLIAM WATERS termined maximum proportional to a frac- Witnesses:

.tion of the work circuits to maintain the GEO. J. CAMPBELL,

total current consumption thereof constant. OLIVER W. CAMPBELL. 

